I Died on Friday... Well, sort of

The last thing my daughter said to me on the day I died was, "Have fun!"

It was 5:15 AM. I was on my way out the door to an angiogram that turned into an angioplasty that turned into something more.

I leaned over her bed and kissed her on the forehead as I had done a thousand times before. This one seemed just a little more emotional, although I didn't know exactly why.

The procedure went fine. They found three arteries blocked, one 80%, one 60%, one 20%. They placed a metal wire stent in the worst one, and decided to moniter and medicate the rest.

I came to in the recovery room and everything was fine. I told my wife to go home rather than sitting there all day. She left, and within a few minutes I developed an embolism on my femoral artery where the incision had been made.

I was telling the nurse who was applying pressure on my artery how to do nightly "highs and lows" with her 13 year old son when, without warning, my heart decided to stop. Then my breathing stopped. And then for about a half a minute I guess I was sort of... er...

Dead.

Yes, if flat-lining with no heartbeat and not breathing technically qualifies you for being dead, I suppose I can say I was dead.

Just a little dead.

A dozen people rushed in the room (so I am told... I wasn't exactly there) and pounded on me, stuck a needle the size of a light saber in my heart and basically did all those heroic measures they are trained to do on me for a while before I came back.

No, I didn't see Jesus... but I guess he saw me.

Anyway, it's good to be on this side, but I'll be happy to be on that side, too.

Kathryn told me, "Have fun."

I think I did.

(PS They say nothing bad can ever happen to a preacher or a writer. It's all good material.)

Comments

[Trogdor]

Hey Rich,

Mate, glad to hear you're okay!

Wow, you take a few days away from something and look what happens.

And this is brilliant material for later in life, when you are old or something.

Stay young at heart Rich,

Josh

[Debbie]

I praise God for sending you back to tell the "rest of the story" about Highs&Lows.
I thank Jesus for your faith and trust in Him and being a role model for us all.
I ask the Holy Spirit to continue filling you with energy and to renew the enthusiasm you have for His work because obviously you're not done yet:)! Amen!

[Richard Stals]

Rich,
I guess God figured you haven't finished your work here on Earth so he sent you back. Maybe it was a Lutheran Minister's version of a performance revue?
Joking aside I am very glad to hear that you are still with us and pray that things continue well with your health.